Daytona 500 Odds 2015: Betting Info and Predictions for 57th Great American Race
A new NASCAR season kicks off Sunday, as the prestigious Daytona 500 marks the return of the Sprint Cup Series. This is no ordinary event, as the spectacle known as the Great American Race provides drivers with the opportunity to start the year with the most coveted trip to Victory Lane and forever be known as a Daytona 500 champion.
This season is already beginning with plenty of controversy. Last year's Sprint Cup Champion Kevin Harvick will be aiming to win his second Daytona 500; however, he'll have to achieve the feat despite the turmoil surrounding Stewart-Haas Racing following the indefinite suspension of Kurt Busch.
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Things continued to go awry for the Busch family, as Kurt's brother Kyle injured his leg during an Xfinity Series race and will miss the Daytona 500, according to USA Today. Here's the official statement from NASCAR:
There are plenty of other storylines to watch in this year's event—beginning with three Hendrick Motorsports cars starting at the front of the pack—but before we delve into the race's preview and prediction, here's a look at the current odds to win the Daytona 500.
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 15-2 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 9-1 |
| Jeff Gordon | 10-1 |
| Matt Kenseth | 10-1 |
| Carl Edwards | 12-1 |
| Denny Hamlin | 12-1 |
| Kevin Harvick | 12-1 |
| Brad Keselowski | 14-1 |
| Joey Logano | 14-1 |
| Tony Stewart | 16-1 |
| Jamie McMurray | 22-1 |
| Kasey Kahne | 22-1 |
Preview and Prediction
It all starts up front here. Due to the dangers of settling into the pack in a Superspeedway like Daytona, beginning the race out front comes with an enormous advantage. It just so happens defending champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a very favorable starting position.
The man known as Junior may be the favorite in the eyes of Vegas oddsmakers; however, the odds are against him in Daytona. The last driver to win back-to-back titles in the race was Sterling Martin in 1994-95. Still, he's equipped with a very fast car and has a great history on this track, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
So, can anyone take Junior down?
Well, since he's starting in the No. 3 spot, the favorites to do so would have to be teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
A victory at Daytona this year would be bittersweet for Gordon. This will mark his last start in the race, and he'll be looking for his fourth career win. The driver spoke of his fond memories at Daytona following a trip to Victory Lane during an interview with Jeff Owens of Sporting News:
"You get to celebrate victories here more with your team. Normally you do the hat dance and then all of a sudden the car goes here and you go here and it's 'see you later.' Maybe you see one another at the shop on Tuesday or Wednesday. But here everybody spends the night and you get to really go through the moments of that race and enjoy them much longer.
It is one of the greatest celebrations that I can remember ever having from a win. That right there just kind of reminds me of how much this race means to win.
"
Rounding out the Hendrick front-runners is Johnson. A two-time winner of the Daytona 500, he will begin the race on the outside of Gordon. Johnson may be coming out with a chip on his shoulder following a 2014 season in which he finished in a career-worst 11th place in the Sprint Cup standings. The No. 48 car certainly looks ready to roll:
Kyle Busch was supposed to be first in line to chase the Hendrick drivers; however, he won't be participating and a replacement has yet to be named. While Joey Logano and Greg Biffle also have good starting positions, the driver to watch here is Tony Stewart.
Stewart will be starting in seventh position, and while he has yet to emerge victorious in a Daytona 500, he's found success in other races held at the speedway. The 43-year-old driver will be looking to put a rough couple of years behind him, and he recently told Lewis Franck of Reuters.com, "As soon as the calendar flipped over to 2015 I put the rest of it behind me and I'm not looking back."
He's certainly motivated, but will he be able to outlast a trio of Hendrick drivers? That may be too tall of an order for Stewart, as he's still looking to get his groove back. Look for Stewart to remain in the mix, but the driver to beat Sunday has to be Junior.
With a great deal of confidence and a strong history on this track, along with one of the race's fastest cars at his disposal, expect to see the No. 88 Chevrolet take the checkered flag for a second consecutive year.
Predicted Winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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